Volunteering in Vietnam

I do believe wrote:

phuclelh wrote:

you can open an English club to teach English for passionate people freely and create an environment to share experience.

phuclelh - have you done this before? Seems to me might be some logistical hurdles.

Advertise on FB, send messages to students, etc. finding a location to meet is probably the most difficult part, VN's love coffee shops, not a good place to try and learn/improve English.
        I tried this is my little city, even provided a free, large room in my house, complete with teaching aids, ( TV screen, wifi, etc ),  my members were mainly Uni students, they were ok, but another " English " club wanted to come as well, that was ok, until the the " king " of this club started to have 90% of the attention drawn away from him,  so after a dummy spit one night, he demanded the rest of his " followers " leave with him, ( no consideration for them, most of them had never had the opportunity to speak with a NES for more than a minute ), he kept insisting they leave with him, so in their misguided loyalty to him they left, ( some were very reluctant though ).
  But as most of my regular members were from farms, when the summer vacation came around, they couldn't attend, and now I've moved back to my small village. ( although a few have visited since then.. )

similar experience in bac kan except we don't have university students - they are in thai nguyen! pity i didn't have contact  with you before - i am going to cao bang  which is even further. bac kan is a good place compared to thai nguyen - you might consider a move? market here is vibrant and a good place to practise the language. good luck - and don't give up!

best wishes

this is a reply to the lady in thai nguyen
[can't get back to your post - strange website!]

similar experience in bac kan except we don't have university students - they are in thai nguyen!                                pity i didn't have contact  with you before - i am going to cao bang  which is even further. bac kan is a good place compared to thai nguyen - you might consider a move? market here is vibrant and a good place to practise the language. good luck - and don't give up!

best wishes

I think that nowadays, demand of studying English is huge. However some poor students and officers can not have access to fee of centers. Classes can organize in public places like cafe, park, apartment....however it also needs to have fund. Volunteers can raise captial from charity organizations, rich people, parents. Club not only support for young people to English skill but also help them to connect a big community where they share goals, solve problems. Thus, many big ideas will be formed.

For those who want to volunteer in an organization in Vietnam, depends on which organization,
if you are foreigner,
you may need to register to become a volunteer via Ho Chi Minh city Department of Labor – War Invalids and Social Affairs. Sometimes it takes 2 weeks for your application to be approved.


Some others, like places belong to pagodas, you don't need to register.


Dieu Giac orphanage sounds like the most famous orphanage here.
I wrote about few other orphanages and how is the process to register in case you have to register here.


Among orphanages which I visited, I can say that Thi Nghe orphanage is the one which need help the most. There are nearly 400 children live here, and most of them are disabled. The orphanage are lacking of people help feeding the children. BUT, to volunteer in this orphanage, as a volunteer, you need to register. You may read more about this orphanage here.



Another place which you can volunteer and does NOT require registration is Phuoc Tuong pagoda.

They give food to people for free every day. One day, they give around 500 orders to outside. On the 1st, 14th, 15th, 29th/30th of lunar month, they treat around few hundreds of people come to this pagoda to eat. (29th/30th since some lunar months just have 29 days). For 1st and 7th month of the lunar year, they treat people every day.


If you like to volunteer, you can help people here cook and prepare the food. If not, you just simply can enjoy a free vegetarian meal here. Yes, you can volunteer here. Basically, they usually lack of people to help prepare. They have experienced foreign volunteers from different countries, mostly were referred to the pagoda by local volunteers.



Yes, you can volunteer here, IF, just if, you don't mind that this place somehow look dirty, not organized. Things not happen as you expected or normally experienced. Sometimes no one welcome you, care about you, ask you, just assign you. When you are about to leave, even no one say "Goodbye", no one say "Thank you!". Yes, you can volunteer here if you are really on will and expect nothing. If you care too much about your shoes would get dirty, simply don't come here.


And all the places which I mentioned,  it's really volunteering,
mean no one gonna support you with your visa, travel expenses, accommodation, food, allowance.
None. Nothing.

Those places for people who really expect nothing.
Since it's really nothing. It's really pure volunteering.
No smallest benefit.

I volunteered at a hospitals/school for a few months interacting with down syndrome and autistic children. They are loving and good kids in need of social interaction.

I have taught English to Seminary Students and my classes were always full, fun, and rewarding. Teaching the nuns English is my next scheduled listed sessions.

The reason i work with the churches is that most have orphans living on their grounds. They haven't the funds to pay teachers. The nuns teach the kids and they need qualified English personnel. During my time i get to meet the kids and play some sports or activities like teaching them basketball, swimming and even dancing.

To volunteer i have made my contacts by going directly to the churches. Your help will (indiectly and directly) help the orphans.

Hi,
i am interested to move in vietnam, what kind of volunteer work does your friend need?
There is a minimum of salary for living there?
Thanks and kind regards.
Francesco

Hi Serial Expat,

Great post

Craig

Hi,

There's no salary for volunteers. But you can teach English at language centres to earn for living.

Volunteer House Vietnam (VHV) provides free English study for the poor children all over Vietnam. You'll be provided free accommodations when working there. For details, refer: facebook.com/volunteerhousevietnam.org?fref=ts

Cheers/ Mai Hue

I am a student here in Hanoi, Vietnam. I love doing volunteer work too. Now I have a plan to open some free English classes for students passioning in learning English, and we will do some voluntary activities like visiting and giving gifts for the orphans and the disabled.  So I really need helps from foreigners who like voluntary activities in Hanoi. For more information, contact me via my personal email: thanhtung.pn96@gmail.com
Best regards!

Hi,
I am a Catholic and a student in Hanoi. I am in my second year at university. I am so pleased to see that you have done many voluntary activities to help the churches, especially those who are in need, the orphans and the disabled. Now I have a plan to help the Catholics study English and also those who love studying English, and to have some activities like visiting and giving gifts to the children in the Catholic orphanage I know. I am so appreciate if you can join. For more information, contact me via my email: thanhtung.pn96@gmail.com
Best regards!

Joseph,
I suspect you will discover quite quickly that limiting your charitable work to only Catholics is not going to sit very well with the average westerner. You should consider opening your programs to peoples of all faiths as this is the way most open-minded people look at this world. It's also the right thing to do.
Good Luck
Greg

klockola wrote:

Joseph,
I suspect you will discover quite quickly that limiting your charitable work to only Catholics is not going to sit very well with the average westerner. You should consider opening your programs to peoples of all faiths as this is the way most open-minded people look at this world. It's also the right thing to do.
Good Luck
Greg

Greg,
Thank you for your comment, but I think you misunderstood my idea. The comment you read, I think is the one I reply to a Alex, who express his experiences of doing voluntary works for the seminary and churches. In another comment, I have express my idea of opening a program for all students who love studying English and for those who are in need.
Anyway, thanks again Greg.
Joseph

Joseph,
You quite correct my comment was intended for Alex and intended only as advice. A program of the type you refer to already exists in Bien Hoa City (outside HCMC.) We currently have 480 students ages 10-14.

Joseph,

I think you will serve your church and strengthen your beliefs helping your church. If this is where your heart is. Volunteering is a personal choice and using the gifts God has given you to help is all that matters. Some are sowers and some are reapers. As you see here, some teach, some help sick children, orphan children, some feed and help the homeless. Do what you can do best. God bless you for all your efforts and i hope you build an army of helpers...

klockola wrote:

Joseph,
You quite correct my comment was intended for Alex and intended only as advice. A program of the type you refer to already exists in Bien Hoa City (outside HCMC.) We currently have 480 students ages 10-14.

Greg,
How cool is that to hear about your program. It's a very far way from Bien Hoa City to Hanoi City. And in Hanoi, many people especially students, they can't find what is the best way to study English and some they don't have money to go to such an expensive course. So I think that I should find out a way to help them, although I don't have much money. It's the reason why I have to find more people who want to do some voluntary activities.
Hope to make it out to your club sometime.
Joseph

That's great joseph. I am a freshman in ha noi, i want to be a tutor if your volunteer place isnt far from hà đông

AlexterBalexter wrote:

Joseph,

I think you will serve your church and strengthen your beliefs helping your church. If this is where your heart is. Volunteering is a personal choice and using the gifts God has given you to help is all that matters. Some are sowers and some are reapers. As you see here, some teach, some help sick children, orphan children, some feed and help the homeless. Do what you can do best. God bless you for all your efforts and i hope you build an army of helpers...

Alex,
Thanks for your very kind words. Now it's all in my thoughts and I am on my way to find out the best way to carry on them. And in my opinion, the first thing I have to do is to find more people, especially the expats, to do it together with me.
God bless you too.
Joseph

Joseph

Don't limit yourself to expats, or to Catholics or any single group. A willing heart and a strong desire are the qualities that build... Sometimes the building blocks are around you. If you believe strongly in your cause you will find a way. A famous motivator who changed millions of lives once said, "If you can conceive it, and believe it, you can achieve it."